Folding washbench.



H. w. POWER, FOLDING WASHBENCH,

APPLICATION FILED JAN. Il. |915.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. W. POWER.

FOLDING WASHBENCH.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.11.1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' Wein/@5565 RAPH CO..WASH|NGTDN. D. C.

HOWARD 'W'. POWER, 0F DAVENPORT, IOWA.

FOLDING WASI-IBENCH.

Specification of Letters Eatent.

Patented Sept. 14, 1915..

Application filed January 11, 1915. Serial No. 1,524.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that 1, HOWARD W. POWER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful 1mprovements in Folding Washbenches, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

My invention relates to improvements in revoluble stands or benches for supporting wash-tubs, or the like, and particularly to a stand adapted to be attached to and used in conjunction with suitable supports, such, for instance, as washing machines.

The sides of the tubs of washing machines now extensively in use are circular and afford a very slight hold for the attachment thereto of any sort of a stand of suflicient size to support a plain wash tub, such as is generally employed in conjunction with such machines.

The object of my invention is to provide a contrivance of this kind which utilizes the body or legs of the washing machine tub to sustain one end of it in such position under the wringer usually mounted upon the top of and overhanging one side of said 'tub that the end of the turn-table can be moved under it, and to whichit can be removably attached whenever desired; which does not take up as much room as an ordinary independent stand or bench, and which can be folded up and stored' away. These and other advantages' l obtain by the means hereinafter fully described, and as particularly pointed out in the claims.

1n the drawings: Figure 1 is aside elevation of my improved stand, attached to a suitable support such as a washing machine, a fragment of which is shown to illustrate the manner of its attachment. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of said stand, showing a fragment of the leg of the support or washing machine to which it is attached. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section on line 3 3, Fig. 1, through the same looking in the direction indicated by the arrows. Fig. 4 is a detail section on line 4 4, Fig. 2, to illustrate the roller construction. Fig. 5 is-a detail section on line 5-5, Fig. 4, taken longitudinally through the roller. Fig. 6

is a detail view illustrating the joint or,

connection between the arms of theeXtension member ofvmy improvements and the ends of the cross-bar connecting the same. Fig. 7 isa view similar to Fig. l, but including the upper part of the tub of the machine and the wringer thereof.

. Referring to the drawings, A represents a fragment of a suitablesupport such as the tub of a washing machine, B the supporting legs thereof, C the bracket secured to and overhanging the edge of the top vof the machine and D the wringer mounted thereon.

My improved stand or bench consists of an articulated frame and a turn-table mounted thereon. The articulated frame comprises a rectangular top member; a leg member pivoted to one end of 'said top member, and an extension member pivoted to the opposite end of the top member. The top member consists of two parallel siderails 1, l; a transverse bar 2 connecting said side-rails at one end thereof, a second transverse bar 3 connecting said side-rails near the opposite ends thereof and transverse boards 4, 5 and 6 connecting and fastened to the top edges of said side-rails.

The leg member, which is composed of two side-bars or legs 7 and 8 that are connected by cross-bars 9 and 10, and are pivoted at theirupper ends to the inner surface of side rails 1, 1, adjacent to transverse bar 2 by a transverse bar 11, which extends through openings in the side rails 1, 1 and legs 7 and 8 and is secured in place by an enlarged head at one end thereof and a nut on the opposite screwthreaded end thereof. Legs 7 and 8 are recessed to provide shouldersa which, when `the leg-member is in its depending supporting position, engage the lower edge of transverse bar 2 and support the weight of the adjacent end of the stand. In its preferred construction., as illustrated, the extension member comprises two parallel arms 12, 12 which are pivoted at one end to the side rails of the top by a crossbar 13, similar to cross-bar 11, hereinbefore referred to. The ends of these arms opposite their pivoted ends are provided with vertically elongated attaching plates 14, the outer faces of which are in a plane oblique to the length of said arms so as to correspond to the plane of the outer surface of the support or legs of the tub of the machine to which they are adapted to be attached.

These attaching-plates are provided with a plurality of suitably disposed bolt holes through which bolts are fitted to secure the arms to said legs. 1 connect arms 12, 12, adjacent plates 14 by a cross rail 30, and for economy of construction, prefer to flare the ends of this cross-rail and secure the same to arms 12 by longitudinally disposed bolts 16 the barrels of which extend through a longitudinal bore extending through bosses 17 located midway between the horns of the iiared ends. The inner ends of said bolts screw into nuts 18 which latter are seated in openings 19 next the inner ends of said bosses, and when suitable washers 20 are placed upon said bolts next the heads on the outer ends thereof and said bolts are suiiiciently tightened, a strong and rigid connection between said arms and said cross rail is secured. Constructing the extension member in this manner provides a knockdown construction, as the arms and cross bar may be dismounted by loosening and removing the bolts.

The turn-table 21 is, preferably, rectangular in shape and has slightly rounded ends,

' as shown, and whenl constructed of wood, it

is reinforced and stiiiened by transverse wooden cleats 22. This turn-table is securely mounted upon a metal spider consisting of acentral boss 32 and equi-distant arms 33 radiating therefrom that are screwed or bolted to the underside of said turn-table. A pivoted stud 24 depends from boss 32 and is journaled in suitable bearingplate 25 which latter is secured to the board 5, midway between the side rails 1. 1, of the top member. This stud extends down through its bearings and through a suitable Vopening in board 5 and its involuntary withdrawal is prevented by a cotter-pin 26 itted through a suitable opening in the lower end thereof.

The weight of the turn-table and its load could be sustained by the engagement of boss 32 with the top of the bearings alone, but 1 prefer to give said turn-table greater stability and prevent it from developing a lateral tilt by providing an annular angleiron track 27 which is securely fastened upon 'the cross-boards 4, 5 and 6V of the top member'l concentric to the axis of the spider by means of screws 28 which are screwed through lugs 29 proiecting inward from the basal flange of said. track into said boards.

A series of equi-distant casters are Jfastened to the underside of the turn-table that consist of screw-plates 34 having downwardly projecting lugs between which rollers 31 are placed and revolubly mounted on bolts connecting said lugs. These casters are. so placed' that rollers 31 rest and travel Aon the upper edge of track 27.

In practice, itis usually desirable to attach my improved stand to the legs of a washing machine with one end of the turntable of said stand located beneath the wringer, thereof so that the clothes can drop from the wringer into a tub or other suitable vessel support mounted on the end of said table directly beneath it. When the tub is suitably filled, the table, if desired, can be turned or given haltl a revolution to bring another tub into operative position beneath the wringer, and the previously iilled tub can be carried to any desired place and a second tub substituted in its place'on the table in readiness to be moved beneath the wringer. rIhis greatly facilitates and expedites the operation of washing.

lll/That I claim as new is:

1. The combination with a suitable support, of a stand having a frame composed of an intermediate top member and two end members, one `of said end members being adapted to be detachably secured to the support, the other end member being adapted to form a supporting leg, and a turn-table mounted on said top member.

2. The combination with a suitable support, of a stand having a frame composed of flexibly connected members, one of said members being adapted to be detachably fastened to said support, another of said members being adapted to provide supporting legs. and a turn-table rotatably mounted on said frame.

3. The combination with a suitable support, of a stand having a frame composed of an intermediate top member and two end members, one of said end members being adapted to be disposed in an approximately horizontal position and detachably secured to the support, the other end member being adapted to form a supporting leg, and a turn-table mounted on said top member.

4. A supporting stand comprising an intermediate or horizontally disposed top member, a horizontally disposed end member pivotally connected to one end of said top member, and a vertically disposed leg member pivotally connected to and supporting the opposite end of said top member. a suitable vertically disposed bearing securely mounted on said top member, and a circular track concentric thereto securely mounted on said top member, in combination with a turntable provided with a downwardly projecting pivotal stud engaging said bearings,

Vand suitable casters secured to the underside of the turn-table and adapted to travel on said track.

5. A supporting stand comprising an intermediate or horizontally disposed top member, a horizontally disposed end meinber pivotally connected to one end oi said top member, and a vertically disposed leg vmember pivotally connected to and supporting the opposite end of said top member, and ln witness whereof I have hereunto set my a suitable vertically disposed bearing sehand this 6th day of January, 1915.

ourely mounted on said top member, in com- HOWARD W. POWER. bination with a turn-table provided with a Witnesses: downwardly projecting pivotal stud engag- OLGA R. MECKELNBURG, ing said bearings. SYBIL C. SOUTHALL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing' the Commissioner of Alatents, Washington, D. CJ 

